Many things can go wrong with your car's battery. The least of your worries is that the battery gets discharged. Either you left the headlights switched on when you parked your car, or perhaps the alternator has failed, leaving the battery with all electrical responsibilities. The worst that can happen, on the other hand, is damage that could lead to explosion. Yes, car batteries can and do explode, and what's scary is that you may not even get to see any of the warning signs. Well, here's some information that may help you figure out if your vehicle's battery is about to blow to kingdom come. Look for telltale signs of bloating. The usual cause of explosion is overcharging, which produces excessive amounts of hydrogen gas within the battery's encasement. Overcharging can be caused by alternator malfunction, where the alternator pumps the battery with unregulated amounts of power. A telltale sign of overcharging is bulging of the battery's sides. When that happens, make sure no spark or fire source gets anywhere near the battery. Do not pour water over the battery; let it cool down naturally. Of course, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that reversing the cables on the terminals will cause damage. The effects are similar-the battery bloats from excess hydrogen or oxygen and becomes a ticking bomb. In that case, visit Car Stuff so you could order a replacement.